While restoring furniture is a time-consuming process, it doesn’t have to be complicated, but you have to follow the following steps. The six steps below will help you restore old furniture.
1. Safety First
Restoration of old furniture will involve tools and chemicals that can be hazardous to your health, especially when a person doesn’t take the necessary precautions. The first is using proper tools for this job. This will keep you and your family safe while making the task easier. You should have protective gear like eyewear, long sleeves, and rubber gloves. This will help when chemicals bun or splatter. Make sure the area you are working in is well ventilated – the best option is outdoor – because it will prevent you from inhaling the vapours during furniture repairs.
2. Identify an Old Finish
Before restoring, it is a good idea to start by determining the current finish on the wood. It can be harder to identify finishes such as varnish, shellac, and lacquer through sight, and you will be forced to do a little experimentation. Take denatured alcohol then apply it on the surface. If the finish comes off, then it is a shellac coating. If it is going to take lacquer thinner to remove the finish, then the finish is lacquer. If neither of the two works, then it is varnish.
3. Cleaning
There are times when the restoration of old furniture can be as simple as cleaning it. You can use the following cleaning method for scrubbing up wood, wicker surfaces, or rattan. Start with an oil-based commercial wood cleaner because is going to help in cutting through the dirt and wax on the surface. If this is not enough to bring the furniture to its original lustre, then you can turn to liquid detergent and warm water. Take a cloth then apply the mixture, but be careful not to get the wood too wet. Thoroughly rinse the area then dry using a soft and clean cloth so that the wood is not damaged by water.
4. Re-amalgamation
Finishes can develop cracks and scratches, leading to a dull surface of the wood and leave a crackling effect on the surface. Re-amalgamation is a process used in repairing the finish. Use one of the above techniques to clean the surface. The next process is choosing a solvent; lacquer thinner on lacquer or denatured alcohol for shellac. Use a natural bristle brush to apply the solvent, but you should do it quickly so that the brush doesn’t get too dry. Lightly buff the area using steel wool, and make sure you work in one direction along the grain of the wood. If you want to add some extra shine, apply hard paste wax to finish it.
5. Stripping
When refinishing, you will need to strip the old finish away so you can make room for the new one. The more the layers of paint, the tougher the stripping formula needed, like a semi-paste that is going to sit on the surface and then loosen the old coats. You should work from top to bottom, liberally applying the stripper in one direction. When working on a curved surface, make sure to add extra because it will be harder to remove. Give it 5-20 minutes, and this will be determined by the thickness of the finish. Use a putty knife to scrape the surface.
6. Refinishing
This is the fun part of the restoration process; you get to apply a new coat of stain and finish to give your piece a new look. Before beginning the process, you should do any repairs on the antique furniture, like filling in cracks or fixing broken chair seats. Use a 100-120 grit sandpaper to sand the piece, then clean it using a vacuum and tack cloth.